Abdominal exercise machine

ABSTRACT

An abdominal exercise machine for developing the main, the lower and oblique abdominal muscles, wherein a seat is hingedly connected to a fixed frame and a back support is hingedly connected to the seat. A pair of resistance arms are pivotally connected to the frame and a trampoline-line target and medicine ball can be used with the exercise machine as an accessory.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There have been many exercise machines proposed for exercising theabdominal muscles. Some have been designed for exercising the main andlower abdominal muscles. Others have been designed for exercising theoblique abdominal muscles.

After considerable research and experimentation, the abdominal exercisemachine of the present invention has been developed to not only exercisethe main and lower abdominal muscles, but also to exercise the obliqueabdominal muscles. A ball and trampoline accessory is also providedwhich can be detachably connected to the exercise machine to addenjoyment to the use of the exercise machine, thereby fostering moreexercise workouts.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The abdominal exercise machine of the present invention comprises,essentially, a fixed frame, a seat is pivotally connected to the frameby a first hinge and a back support is pivotally connected to the seatby a second hinge. An adjustable platform assembly is mounted on theframe and is operatively connected to the seat, whereby the angle of theseat can be adjusted, to thereby affect the difficulty of the exercise.

A pair of arms are pivotally connected to the frame so that the armscannot only move straight back and forward when exercising the main andlower abdominal muscles, but also diagonally when exercising the obliqueabdominal muscles. Resistance to the movement of the arms is provided bya torsion spring connected to the arm pivots.

The back support, by means of the second hinge, lifts the user whilelearning back and also assists the user on the sit up. The back supportincludes a pair of bolsters which not only support the back of the user,but also provide a massage effect to the user's back while exercising.

The exercise machine is also provided with an accessory comprising ashaft having one end detachably connected to the exercise machine frameand a trampoline type target connected to the other end of the shaftspaced outwardly from the seat. A medicine ball is provided for the userto toss and catch when thrown at the target.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side perspective view of the exercise machine of the presentinvention showing a user seated thereon;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the exercise machine of the presentinvention;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the exercise machine shown in FIG.2;

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the exercise machine shown in FIG.3, but showing the handles moved from the operative position shown indotted lines to the stored inoperative position shown in solid lines;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary, bottom perspective view showing the connectionof the seat to the frame of the exercise machine;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary, side perspective view showing the connection ofone of the arms to the frame of the exercise machine;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view showing theconnection of the back of the seat to the frame of the exercise machine;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of the back ofthe seat, as shown in FIG. 7, but adjusted to an inclined position; and

FIG. 9 is a rear perspective view of the exercise machine showing atrampoline-type target attached to the exercise machine.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to the drawings and more particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, theexercise machine of the present invention comprises an arcuate, tubularmain frame 1 having a transversely extending foot member 2 fixedlyconnected to the rear end portion thereof. A tubular leg member 3 isconnected to the forward end portion of the main frame 1 and is providedwith a transversely extending foot member 4 at the lower end thereof.

A pair of bolsters 5 are adjustably mounted on the leg member 3 by meansof a sleeve 6 to which the bolsters 5 are secured. The sleeve 6 isslidably mounted on the tubular leg member 5 and is held in an adjustedposition by means of a spring biased plunger-type detent assembly 7.

As will be seen in FIGS. 2 and 5, a seat member 8 is secured to theframe 1 by means of an elongated, rectangular sub-frame member 9 securedto the bottom of the seat member 8 and having its forward end portionpivotally connected to the frame 1 as at 10. The opposite or rear endportion of the frame member 9 is pivotally connected to the lower endportion of a back support 11 as at 12.

Referring to FIGS. 2, 7 and 8, the lower end of the back support 11 isprovided with an elbow portion 13 engaging the top surface of a platemember 14 of a telescoping tube 15 slidably mounted in a sleeve 16secured to the frame 1. The telescoping tube 15 is held at an adjustedposition within the sleeve 16 by a spring biased detent assembly 17. Bythis construction and arrangement, the back support 11 can be moved froma forward position, as shown in FIG. 7, to a backward position, as shownin FIG. 8, by lowering the telescoping tube 15 thereby causing a cammingmotion between the elbow 13 and the top surface 14 of the telescopingtube 15. The upper end of the back support 11 is provided with a pair ofbolsters 18 for supporting the user's back.

As will be seen in FIGS. 3 and 6, a pair of arms 19, having hand grips19 a, are each pivotally connected to the seat sub-frame member 9 by astub shaft 26 having one end fixedly connected to the seat sub-framemember 9 and the opposite end extending freely into a tubular member 21.The portion 19 b of each arm 19 is received into the open end of arespective tubular member 21 and held therein by a spring-biasedplunger-type detent 22. By this construction and arrangement, each arm19 is free to rotate about its respective sub shaft 20. To provideresistance to the pivotal movement of the arms 19, a coiled torsionspring 23 is provided having one end secured to the stub shaft 20 andthe opposite end secured to the tubular member 21.

The stub shafts 26 and associated tubular members 21 are positioned in adownwardly inclined orientation and the lower end portions 19 b of eacharm 19, which extends into a respective tubular member 21, are orientedin an upwardly inclined position, whereby when the user pushes on thearms 19, they are moved in a diagonal direction across the user's chest.

By the construction and arrangement of the detent assembly 22, the arms19 can be released from their respective tubular members 21 and pivotedto a stored position under the seat, as shown in FIG. 4.

In using the exercise machine thus far described, as seen in FIG. 1, theuser sits on the machine and places his feet under the bolsters 5 andleans back against the back support 11 causing the back support to pivoton the top surface 14 of the telescoping tube 15 resulting in the seat 8to rise, as shown in FIG. 8, thereby lifting the user. The constructionand arrangement of the pivot assemblies 10, 12 and 13 also results inthe back support 11 and bolsters to start fairly low on the user's backand travel up the user's back providing comfort, support, and a massageeffect. During this exercise, the user starts from an upright positionand falls back against the back support 11 at an angle wherein the mainand lower abdominal muscles are engaged by breaking the user's fall. Thesame muscles are engaged when the user returns to the upright position.By adjusting the initial angle of the seat via telescoping tube 15, asshown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the degree of difficulty of the exercise can bevaried.

To exercise the oblique abdominal muscles, the user grabs the handgrips19 a and pushes the arms 19 forwardly to thereby rotate the arms againstthe resistance of the torsion springs 23. The pivotal orientation of thearms 19 to the frame 9 results in the arms being moved in a diagonaldirection resembling a punch diagonally across the chest.

When exercising the main and lower abdominal muscles, as describedhereinabove, the user can push the arms 19 back and forth in a straightmotion.

FIG. 9 illustrates an accessory 24 which can be attached to the exercisemachine of the present invention. The accessory 24 comprises atrampoline-like target 24 a mounted on one end of a telescopic tubularshaft 24 b having its opposite end detachably connected to the seat 8. Amedicine ball 24 c is provided whereby the user, when leaning backward,tosses the ball 24 c at the target 24 a which quickly returns the ballto the user so that when the user comes from the back position to theupright position, the user has to carry the weighted ball thereby addingresistance and difficulty to the exercise. By using a telescopic tube 24b, the distance of the target 24 a from the user can be varied.

From the above description, it will be appreciated by those skilled inthe art that the exercise machine of the present invention isconstructed and arranged for exercising not only the main and lowerabdominal muscles, but also the oblique abdominal muscles whichheretofore required different machines for each exercise.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown anddescribed is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and thatvarious changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may beresorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or scopeof the subjoined claims.

1. An exercise machine for exercising the main and lower abdominal muscles as well as the oblique abdominal muscles of a user comprising, a main frame, a sub-frame pivotally connected to the main frame, a seat secured to the sub-frame, and a back support pivotally connected to the sub-frame, whereby when a user sitting on the machine in an upright position falls back against the back support, the seat and associated sub-frame are pivoted upwardly thereby developing the main and lower abdominal muscles, the same muscles being developed during the return to the upright position.
 2. An exercise machine according to claim 1, wherein the pivotal connection of the back support to the sub-frame includes an elbow connected to the lower end of the back support, said elbow engaging the top surface of a plate member, said plate member being mounted on the upper end of a vertically extending tube, said tube being slidably mounted in a sleeve secured to the main frame, and a detent assembly operatively connected between the tube and the sleeve, whereby the vertical position of the tube and associated plate member can be varied to thereby adjust the inclination of the back support.
 3. An exercise machine according to claim 1, wherein a pair of arms are pivotally connected to the sub-frame assembly, each pivotal connection comprising a stub shaft having one end fixedly connected to the sub-frame, a tubular member rotatably mounted on the opposite end portion of the stub shaft, a torsion spring having one end connected to the stub shaft and the opposite end connected to the tubular member, each arm being detachably connected to a respective tubular member, whereby the arms can be pivoted to an inoperative stored position under the seat.
 4. An exercise machine according to claim 1, wherein the pivotal connection for each arm is positioned in a downwardly inclined orientation, whereby when the user pushes on the arms, they are moved in a diagonal direction across the user's chest to thereby exercise the user's oblique abdominal muscles.
 5. An exercise machine according to claim 1, wherein a leg member is connected to a forward end portion of the main frame, and a pair of foot bolsters adjustably mounted on the leg member, whereby the user's instep engages the bolsters while exercising.
 6. An exercise machine according to claim 1, wherein a pair of bolsters are mounted on the upper end portion of the back support for supporting the user's back.
 7. An exercise machine according to claim 1, wherein one end of a tubular shaft is detachably connected to the seat and extends outwardly therefrom, a trampoline-target mounted on the opposite end of said shaft, and a weighted ball, whereby when the user leans backward and forward against the back rest, the medicine ball is tossed at the target which quickly returns the ball to the user, so that when the user comes from the back position to the upright position, the weighted ball is carried, thereby adding resistance and difficulty to the exercise.
 8. An exercise machine according to claim 1, wherein the tubular shaft is telescopic, whereby the distance of the target from the user can be varied. 